Hyderabad: In a crucial decision following the High Court of Hyderabad taking serious view of the ‘unwarranted arrest’ of Telangana Congress Committee working president A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday, the Election Commission of India transferred Vikarabad police superintendent T Annapurna and posted Avinash Mohanty as the new SP. Avinash was asked to take the charge immediately. Annapurna has been attached to the DGP office. She will not be assigned election duties.

It may be mentioned that The Kodangal police arrested Revanth Reddy from his house in the wee hours of Tuesday, hours ahead of chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s public meeting in the constituency. Revanth gave a call to disallow KCR from entering Kodangal constituency, as his party’s candidate P Narender Reddy was caught holding cash illegally in his farmhouse last week. Revanth was also charging that KCR had not done anything for Kodangal constituency.

The police detained Revanth Reddy at the district police training academy in Jadcherla, about 85 km from his hometown.

Congress leader V Narender Reddy moved the High Court challenging the illegal arrest of Revanth. The HC took serious view of the arrest and directed his immediate release and posted the further hearing in the case to Wednesday. The police released him around 4 pm, a few minutes before KCR’s public meeting in Kodangal constituency.

Rahul Gandhi tweeted his protest against the arrest of the TPCC working president and Congress candidate in Kodangal.

The HC today questioned the Advocate General as to what prompted the arrest of Revanth. The bench directed the director general of police, M Mahender Reddy to personally appear before it by 2.15 pm. The AG sought exemption for DGP from personal appearance on grounds that he was busy with election work. The HC turned down his plea and said it was also dealing with the election related case hence he had to be present.

Quick developments took place before 2.15 pm. The EC directed the DGP to transfer Annapurna. It stipulated that Avinash Mohanty should take charge before 2 pm, minutes before the DGP’s personal appearance in the court.